Continuous casting band system

Abstract

An improved apparatus and method for the recycling accumulation of at least one moving continuous band in a continuous molten metal casting machine of the type having continuously advancing mold parts, at least one of which is formed by said band and wherein at a station located in a spaced relationship to said casting machine, the elongated continuous band, belt, or strip is accumulated from the mold end and simultaneously fed out or supplied to the mold beginning. In combination therewith are the use of means to properly tension said band or bands, and means to join the ends thereof to new lengths of band, belt, or strip so as to connect a substantially unlimited number of individual elongated belts to the one in use. The apparatus is configured to permit incorporation into newly designed apparatus or retrofitting for use with a great many of the various continuous metal casting machines of past and present manufacture wherein at least one of the mold surfaces is formed by a band, belt, or strip moving in close contact with the cast metal.

We claim: 
     
       1. A continuous molten metal casting apparatus comprising a casting machine having a continuously advancing mold, said mold being formed by at least one endless band in conjunction with other sealing surfaces so as to provide a closed mold having entry and exit ends, means for continuously advancing said endless band along an endless path of travel, means arranged along said endless path of travel for accumulating and storing a portion of said endless band in rotating convolute coils, and means arranged adjacent said path of travel for replacing said endless band with another endless band, wherein said band replacement means arranged adjacent the path of band travel is operative for replacing said endless band without interrupting the endless band along that portion of the endless path of travel where the endless band forms a closed continuously advancing mold. 
     
     
       2. A method of using a metallic strip accumulator means in a continuous molten metal casting process comprising the steps of: (a) casting molten metal into a continuously advancing mold portion of a casting machine wherein at least one of the mold surfaces is formed by a continuously advancing elongated endless band in conjunction with other sealing surfaces so as to provide a closed mold having entry and exit ends,   (b) cooling said mold thereby causing the molten metal to at least partially solidify,   (c) separating the endless band from the mold exit end of the closed portion of the mold,   (d) positively advancing said continuously advancing band along a predetermined band path which includes a first band tensioner means,   (e) advancing the mold and continuously withdrawing the cast bar from the mold while molten metal is poured continuously into the mold,   (f) routing said continuously advancing endless bend along a band path which path includes a metallic strip accumulator means wherein a variable length of continuous elongated casting band may be stored in rotating convolute coils while advancing therethrough,   (g) cooling the at least partially solidified bar until solidification is effected,   (h) returning said continuously advancing endless casting band through a second band tensioner means to the casting machine mold entry end so as to maintain a constant band tension between said closed mold entry and exit ends, further characterized by storing at least one continuously advancing elongated band in a plurality of strip accumulator means and the steps of:     (i) arresting movement of the continuously advancing elongated band through a band shear and weld station by gripping said band in a first clamp means and a second clamp means,   (j) continuously accumulating the continuously advancing elongated band material in a first metallic strip accumulator means preceding said band shear and weld station along the path of said band,   (k) continuously dispensing stored band material from a second metallic strip accumulator means following said band shear and weld station along the path of said band, and   (l) renewing the continuous casting band through conventional operation of the band shear and weld station apparatus and releasing the first and second band clamping means.   
     
     
       3. In a continuous molten metal casting method of the type wherein: (a) molten metal is continuously cast on a casting machine having continuously advancing mold parts wherein at least one of said mold parts is formed by   (b) continuously advancing a thin elongated strip of casting band material in contact with other continuously advancing mold parts,   (c) tensioning the continuously advancing elongated casting band in a band tensioning means,   the improved method of renewing said elongated casting band consisting of the further steps of:   (d) storing a continuously advancing elongated portion of said band in rotating convolute coils,   (e) arresting movement of a portion of the casting band and severing the old band,   (f) interchanging a new band from a separate supply source with the old band by joining the new band leading end to the old band trailing end and guiding the new band along the old band path,   (g) forming the new band material into an endless casting band by severing the new casting band from the supply source and joining the ends of the new casting band,   (h) releasing the new endless casting band for normal operation.   
     
     
       4. The method of renewing an elongated metal casting band which continuously advances along a band path of a casting machine during continuous casting operations comprising the steps of: (a) storing an elongated metal casting band, which band continuously advances along a band path, in at least two pairs of rotating convolute coils disposed along said band path,   (b) arresting movement of a portion of the band between a first pair of said rotating convolute coils and a second pair of said rotating convolute coils with a first clamp means and a spaced apart second clamp means,   (c) accumulating the elongated metal casting band in said first pair of rotating convolute coils,   (d) paying out the elongated metal casting band from said second pair of rotating convolute coils,   (e) severing the old band at the point of arrested movement between the first and second clamp means and joining a new band from a separate supply source to the old band trailing end,   (f) releasing the second clamp means to allow movement of the old band trailing end joined to the leading end of the new band and guiding the new band along the old band path at a rate greater than that of casting so as to accumulate the new band in the second pair of rotating convolute coils,   (g) withdrawing the old band by its severed leading edge to a separate storage location after releasing the first clamp means to allow free movement of the old band,   (h) arresting movement of the trailing end of the new band at a point between said first and second pairs of rotating convolute coils and passing the leading end of the new band past the aforesaid point,   (i) arresting movement of the leading end of the new band with a first clamp means before and with a second clamp means after the aforesaid point and severing the band therebetween,   (j) joining the leading end of the new band to the trailing end of the new band to form an endless band,   (k) releasing movement of the new endless band for normal operation.   
     
     
       5. The method of claim 3 or 4 wherein a plurality of elongated metal casting bands employed by a casting machine may be continuously renewed. 
     
     
       6. The method of claims 3 or 4 wherein a reverse twist is applied to the end of one band before final joining thereof, resulting in an endless elongated band in the known "Mobius Strip" configuration. 
     
     
       7. A continuous molten metal casting apparatus comprising a casting machine having a continuously advancing mold, said mold being formed by at least one endless band in conjunction with other sealing surfaces so as to provide a closed mold having entry and exit ends, and means for continuously advancing said endless band along an endless path of travel, the improvement comprising: means arranged along said endless path of travel for accumulating and storing a portion of said endless band in rotating convolute coils,   means arranged adjacent said path of travel for replacing said endless band with another endless band,   severing means adjacent the path of band travel for severing the endless band;   take up means adjacent the path of band travel for taking up the severed band and removing it from the path of band travel as it passes therealong;   supply means adjacent the path of band travel for introducing a length of band material having a leading end and a trailing end into the path of band travel; and   uniting means adjacent the path of band travel for permanently joining the leading and trailing ends of said length of band to form a replacement endless band, wherein said band replacement means arranged adjacent the path of band travel is operative for replacing said endless band without interrupting the endless band along that portion of the endless path of travel where the endless band forms a closed continuously advancing mold.     
     
     
       8. A method of using a metallic strip accumulator means in a continuous molten metal casting process comprising the steps of: (a) casting molten metal into a continuously advancing mold portion of a casting machine wherein at least one of the mold surfaces is formed by a continuously advancing elongated endless band in conjunction with other sealing surfaces so as to provide a closed mold having entry and exit ends,   (b) cooling said mold thereby causing the molten metal to at least partially solidify,   (c) separating the endless band from the mold exit end of the closed portion of the mold,   (d) positively advancing said continuously advancing band along a predetermined band path which includes a first band tensioner means,   (e) advancing the mold and continuously withdrawing the cast bar from the mold while molten metal is poured continuously into the mold,   (f) routing said continuously advancing endless band along a band path which path includes a metallic strip accumulator means wherein a variable length of continuous elongated casting band may be stored in rotating convolute coils while advancing therethrough,   (g) cooling the at least partially solidified bar until solidification is effected, and   (h) returning said continuously advancing endless casting band through a second band tensioner means to the casting machine mold entry end so as to maintain a constant band tension between said closed mold entry and exit ends, wherein the at least partially solidified cast bar and the endless band are together removed from the casting mold exit and wherein the at least partially solidified cast bar is supported and guided along the band path by the continuously advancing band prior to separation of the continuously advancing band and the at least partially solidified cast bar, further characterized by storing at least one continuously advancing elongated band in a plurality of strip accumulator means and the steps of:     (i) arresting movement of the continuously advancing elongated band through a band shear and weld station by gripping said band in a first clamp means and a second clamp means,   (j) continuously accumulating the continuously advancing elongated band material in a first metallic strip accumulator means preceding said band shear and weld station along the path of said band,   (k) continuously dispensing stored band material from a second metallic strip accumulator means following said band shear and weld station along the path of said band,   (l) renewing the continuous casting band through conventional operation of the band shear and weld station apparatus and releasing the first and second band clamping means.   
     
     
       9. A method of using a metallic strip accumulator means in a continuous molten metal casting process comprising the steps of: (a) casting molten metal into a continuously advancing mold portion of a casting machine wherein at least one of the mold surfaces is formed by a continuously advancing elongated endless band in conjunction with other sealing surfaces so as to provide a closed mold having entry and exit ends,   (b) cooling said mold thereby causing the molten metal to at least partially solidify,   (c) separating the endless band from the mold exit end of the closed portion of the mold,   (d) positively advancing said continuously advancing band along a predetermined band path which includes a first band tensioner means,   (e) advancing the mold and continuously withdrawing the cast bar from the mold while molten metal is poured continuously into the mold,   (f) routing said continuously advancing endless band along a band path which path includes a metallic strip accumulator means wherein a variable length of continuous elongated casting band may be stored in rotating convolute coils while advancing therethrough,   (g) cooling the at least partially solidified bar until solidification is effected, and   (h) returning said continuously advancing endless casting band through a second band tensioner means to the casting machine mold entry end so as to maintain a constant band tension between said closed mold entry and exit ends, wherein the at least partially solidified cast bar and the endless band are together removed from the casting mold exit and wherein the at least partially solidified cast bar is supported and guided along the band path by the continuously advancing band prior to separation of the continuously advancing band and the at least partially solidified cast bar, and wherein a casting machine having at least one pair of parallel continuously advancing elongated bands to form at least two of the mold walls is used to cast the molten metal, further characterized by storing at least one continuously advancing elongated band in a plurality of strip accumulator means and the steps of:     (i) arresting movement of the continuously advancing elongated band through a band shear and weld station by gripping said band in a first clamp means and a second clamp means,   (j) continuously accumulating the continuously advancing elongated band material in a first metallic strip accumulator means preceding said band shear and weld station along the path of said band,   (k) continuously dispensing stored band material from a second metallic strip accumulator means following said band shear and weld station along the path of said band,   (l) renewing the continuous casting band through conventional operation of the band shear and weld station apparatus and releasing the first and second band clamping means.